Chicago Crush of the Month: Lindsey Pearlman

BY SARAH TEREZ-ROSENBLUM
Maybe it’s actor Lindsey Pearlman’s resemblance to my first babysitter, who carried me piggyback and fed me German chocolate cake, the crush who started it all. Maybe it’s the lip-syncing skills she showed off at the 2010 Mookie Jam, miming Pat Benatar, she put drag queens worldwide to shame. Or maybe it’s her Facebook presence, a modern blessing which cuts my work in half.

When I’m interested in Lindsey’s whereabouts, I no longer go to the trouble of tacking a tracking device to the underside of her car and following her from place to place (a difficult feat since I travel by bus).

That’s in the past though, because Lindsey knows I’m watching, so her status updates reflect her location, her opinions, her plans! Whether running her pet sitting business, rehearsing for upcoming shows, or courting her new love, stand-up comedy, Lindsey Pearlman makes herself known. And lucky she does, because she’s October’s Chicago Crush.

Name: Lindsey Erin PearlmanHometown: Chicago Profession: Actor/owner of Sit and StayHobbies: Clicking the "like" button, riding my scooter and creating trailers and tasteless videos (check out "Naughty Girl" on Funny or Die).OT: What inspired you to open Sit and Stay? LP: Actors have to get creative to support ourselves financially. I'd grown weary of waiting tables, and my lifelong passion for animals combined with a desire to work for myself made opening Sit and Stay a logical step.OT: What’s your favorite dog breed?LP: I have a thing for greyhounds. They're so yummy and sweet and tired and grateful. Old greyhounds slay me. Really though, any senior dog with a grey muzzle and wise eyes ... ? Oh, man.OT: Was acting always a goal?LP: Totes. My first show was a community theater production of “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory” [at] 10. I remember getting the phone call that I was cast; my little diary was just a bundle of nerves and excitement.OT: You performed stand-up at Mookie Jam. How’d that come about?LP: Awww, that's where our love affair began. Mookie Jam's founder, my friend Mierka Girten, invited me to perform at the event, which benefits artists living with multiple sclerosis. It was my second time doing stand-up, and I had never been more nervous about anything in my life. I almost backed out a couple times; I wasn't convinced I was good enough. Completely surpassing my own expectations of my abilities was a huge lesson for me, and a leap of growth. I came to understand [my] power to get in my own way, that when I don't give fear the control, I can do anything.OT: Can we expect more stand-up?LP: God, I hope so! Being single-handedly responsible for making a room happy is awesome.OT: Describe your perfect day.LP: I recently had it in Puerto Vallarta with my boyfriend. Good breakfast, lazing around the pool, a nap, horseback riding on the beach, exploring a foreign town, providing a meal for a stray dog, fresh seafood on the ocean, a night walk on the beach. Are you kidding me?OT: Relationship Deal breaker? LP: If he's uncomfortable around dogs or cats, is a homophobe, or asks "So, like, how do you remember all those words in those plays," it isn't gonna work.OT: First crush?LP: Michael Jackson. Thriller era.OT: Why are you crush-worthy?LP: Dude. (Looks at rack) Right??OT: Any questions for me?LP: Is that – wait, did you just doodle LP+STR 4eva??

Lindsey Pearlman, owner of Sit and Stay, (Link- www.sitandstaychicago.com) currently tours with Catharsis Productions' “Sex Signals,” a two-person play that utilizes sketch comedy, improv, and scripted material to address sexual assault and acquaintance rape. She will perform in Theatre Seven of Chicago’s upcoming production of “The Water Engine.” Her favorite word is riboflavin.

Sarah Terez Rosenblum (@SarahTerez) is an MFA-holding writer, teacher and Spinning instructor. She's also the Theater Listings Editor for Centerstage Chicago. Look for her posts twice a week.